ALABASTER, Alabama -- The Alabaster Board of Education
decided on Monday to enter into a three-year lease agreement for office space
in the city's new municipal administration building next to the senior center.

The Alabaster Board of Education will move its offices into the new city administration building, which should end construction in July. (Martin J. Reed / mreed@al.com)

The board members at their Monday afternoon special
meeting approved a resolution to lease space in the building's upper floor for
$3,800 a month including utilities. The board can extend the lease agreement for
up to two years under the proposed arrangement.

Interim superintendent Phil Hammonds said the city's
offer is "reasonable and within the board's budgetary constraints."

The board decided in February to lease office space under
a six-month agreement at the Park Forest condominium offices, 6919 Highway 119.

"Sooner than later we're going to move out of that space
as far as being pretty packed in there," Hammonds told the board.

He called the new city administration building "an ideal
location" that is "closer to schools" served by the blossoming Alabaster school
system. Additionally, the move is "another visible sign of moving forward" with
the district's formation, he said.